


Bloom

by Madsrion



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-30 01:11:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13939359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madsrion/pseuds/Madsrion
Summary: Kindaichi and Yamaguchi accidentally create a budding friendship…or something. Written, and takes place, before the first years’ training camp prior to Nationals.





	Bloom

They've seen each other around at a practice match and the two games, without really giving one another thought outside of playing (that's the pinch server; that's the middle blocker).

The Spring High game has come and gone and Kindaichi is running errands, wandering around the shop on a boring Monday afternoon while trying to decide which dog treats his Samoyed will want most—and a bright laugh reaches him from the other aisle. He recognizes him even though the source of the laugh is not in his sports uniform: _that's the pinch server from Karasuno_ , and he's waving goodbye to the employee at the till as he heads toward the door. The Karasuno server catches Kindaichi staring, and he gives Kindaichi a small smile and nod as he walks out.

It's not an impolite gesture. Kindaichi stares at the shelving for a few moments before picking up the smallest box of dog treats available, aware that he'll need to return to get more very soon.

Kindaichi spends the next week thinking about the Karasuno player's smile, his laugh, his serve. Kindaichi's not distracted enough to draw attention from his team, though he still risks this by declining an invitation to stay and hang out with them the following Monday, in favor of returning to that store.

The smile that was so on his mind is the first thing Kindaichi sees, walking through the doors as Karasuno is picking up his items at the register and talking to the cashier. It's the second time he's seen number twelve's smile outside of their games. In this context Kindaichi can actually appreciate it.

Kindaichi's walking up to him when Karasuno turns away from the counter and they bump into one another—(from so close he's taller than Kindaichi thought he was)—and Kindaichi apologizes at the same time Karasuno does. Eye contact is awkward and lasts a little too long, is a little too uncomfortable; there's a silent question of hostility (my _rival_ ) and Kindaichi wonders if he's making a mistake by lingering too long when Karasuno says, "It's Kindaichi, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Kindaichi says.

"I'm Yamaguchi. Um, I'm not—I'm not a regular but—I’m on the Karasuno—"

"Jump float server," Kindaichi says. "Uh, yeah. I already know." He tries to smile, tries to make it sound less severe to make up for his interruption. _Did_ it sound severe? Rude? Condescending—?

Yamaguchi smiles with his whole face, eyes bright and proud ( _That's a good look_ , Kindaichi thinks) but his voice is a little shy when he replies, "You remember that part, huh?"

"It was a good play..."

"Oh, thanks. You guys played a good game."

There's more awkward silence as Kindaichi feels the pang of Aobajousai's loss and is unsure of how to respond, and Yamaguchi winces at what he just said.

"S-Sorry—I know it doesn't really help to hear that..."

"That's okay," Kindaichi says. He tries to smile again. Yamaguchi gives a small smile back. "There's not a lot of other things you can really say about a loss, anyway," Kindaichi continues, and this time tries to laugh—it’s not as easy as a smile but Yamaguchi is still looking at him, and Kindaichi doesn't want to lose his attention now.

They talk some more. It's small talk: the weather, what they're supposed to pick up at the store here, and Yamaguchi realizes that he needs to get to the bus. "I guess I'll see you sometime later, Kindaichi!"

(Kindaichi marvels at how Yamaguchi remembered his name and wonders why that small fact makes him feel so pleased.)

The following week Kindaichi returns, but he doesn't see Yamaguchi. He wanders the block for as long as he can make excuse to before he decides that the embarrassment isn't worth it, and he heads back home.

+++

Yamaguchi goes to the bookstore later that week. He’s trying to decide if he wants to buy the next volume of his favorite manga or if he wants to give up such things (are they uncool? are they interesting enough to read even if they _are_ uncool?) when Kindaichi walks into the aisle.

"Ah—um, hey, Yamaguchi..."

"Eh! Hello!" Yamaguchi says, and he hopes he's not red-faced—from the embarrassment of being caught in the manga section, or his name being remembered, or both.

There’s some awkward silence…again.

"I haven't read those. They any good?" Kindaichi asks, nodding at the volumes in Yamaguchi's hands.

They talk some more, less small talk this time and more about the series they're reading or want to read, voices low because a bookstore is basically a library but scarier, and it's again Yamaguchi who leaves first. "Bye, Kindaichi—" "—See you around," and the smile, how Kindaichi looks up from the volumes that Yamaguchi has recommended, does something weird to Yamaguchi's feelings. He likes it.

(Kindaichi spends another hour in the store reading Yamaguchi's favorite series but doesn't really see the appeal. Maybe science fiction just isn't his genre.)

+++

The next time they meet, their conversation is a little easier, but still carefully free of volleyball talk and it’s peppered with strange silences.

Yamaguchi suggests grabbing a snack as they walk to the bus station. Outside the door to the store they see a tiny bird waddling by, its proportionately tiny beak attempting to clamp around an entire pork bun, and Kindaichi interrupts Yamaguchi to _actually say_ "Look at that bird—"

Yamaguchi tries to bring up his phone to get a picture (this is the _best_ bird he's ever seen in his entire life) but before he can capture it the bird drops his meal and flutters away. Yamaguchi frowns in disappointment, but Kindaichi says—only a little smugly—"Got it. I can send it to you, if you like—what’s your number?"

Pork-bun-bird isn't as funny as Yamaguchi thinks it is, he knows that; but Kindaichi seems equally amused. Yamaguchi sets the picture as his lock screen.

(Tsukishima notices the change in lock screen a few days later, and snorts quietly. Yamaguchi gets a certain satisfaction out of knowing that Tsukki thinks it's funny, too.)

_"How did you even manage to get a picture so fast, Kindaichi?"_

_"Oh, ah—we have a kind of competition, to get as many pictures as we can of Iwaizumi smacking Oikawa...That tends to happen pretty quickly..." Kindaichi seems embarrassed, but Yamaguchi laughs._

_"Suga tends to hit people on occasion, too. But usually you're too bruised and pumped up to be very concerned," Yamaguchi says._

_They still aren't talking about volleyball, exactly; but their team_ — _their friends_ — _maybe those don't need to be off-limits._

+++

Kindaichi stares and sighs and refreshes his phone exactly fourteen times before Kunimi gives in, asks him what's wrong.

Kindaichi's ears turn pink. Kunimi immediately knows: this is going to be _good._

"I gave someone my number the other day. I don't know if they're going to text me, though." Kindaichi frowns at his phone. "I don't know what they'd even text me about."

It _is_ good. It's better than Kunimi could have possibly imagined.

"I cannot believe," he says slowly, carefully, "you didn't tell me that you are a boyfriend now."

Kindaichi's entire face turns pink, and it is spectacular. "Don't—" he starts, but Kunimi is quicker.

"Can I officiate the wedding?"

"You—Iwaizumi’s not the only one who can punch people, you know!"

Kunimi is merciful; he'll end this as quickly as he started it. Also, he’s not entirely sure that Kindaichi is joking about a quick punch. He shrugs, says, "And your dearly beloved isn't the only one who can text first."

Kindaichi starts, and stares back at his phone. Kunimi gives him a few seconds, thinking that Kindaichi will ask for advice on what to say, but instead Kindaichi types something quickly and lets out a puff of breath.

"What," Kunimi asks, "did you say?"

"Just 'hey' for now, I guess."

Kunimi stares for a moment, reminding himself that he is a merciful being. Then he remembers that he's actually really not.

"Can I negotiate the divorce?"

+++

"Who are you always texting lately?" Tsukishima asks, leaning over his desk in an attempt to get a look at Yamaguchi's phone. Yamaguchi yelps and tilts his phone away from Tsukki, then back, apparently unable to decide if he wanted to hide it or not.

"A friend," is all Yamaguchi says. Tsukishima waits for Yamaguchi to say more, but when he doesn't, he shrugs.

"Better than an enemy, I guess."

For some reason Yamaguchi fidgets more.

+++

From: K~

did you want to see that movie next week? i'm free on monday

 

From: \ Yama /

which movie

 

From: K~

the planet one?

 

From: \ Yama /

?

 

From: K~

with the robot

 

From: \ Yama /

...the one you complained about for like half an hour because the trailer looked really stupid?

 

From: K~

yeah

 

From: \ Yama /

lol

 

From: K~

you said you wanted to see it though

 

From: \ Yama /

yeah but not with you if you're going to suffer through it...i'll go later

 

From: K~

i wont suffer wtf

 

From: \ Yama /

you suffered through the last movie i took you to it's fine, we'll do something else

 

From: K~

i didnt suffer through the last one

 

From: \ Yama /

you slept on my shoulder for like half of it

 

From: K~

best nap i've had in ages

 

From: \ Yama /

i'm not paying for your nap then you can buy your own ticket

 

From: K~

will you pay for snacks

 

From: \ Yama /

you can have ONE

 

From: K~

xlarge popcorn xtra butter thanks i'll meet you at five

+++

Kindaichi buys both their tickets, and they eat most of the popcorn before the previews start. Kindaichi falls asleep in the first forty-five minutes of the movie and doesn't wake even when the movie track consists of three straight minutes of angry emergency alarm noises; Yamaguchi has to poke him in the ribs, Sugawara-style, to wake him and leave the theater.

On Saturday, after hours of three-on-three practice sets among the Karasuno team members, Yamaguchi reciprocates. He joins Kindaichi and Sue, Kindaichi’s furry and friendly large dog, on their weekend hike, and dozes during their "short rest." Kindaichi sits with him, constantly worried that Sue's playing will wake him up, but he only wakes when Sue decides to take her own nap on Yamaguchi's knees.

_(Two days later Yamaguchi gets a series of texts asking about what happened in the movie after Kindaichi had fallen asleep._

_"you didn't want to know about this before?"_

_"it took me a while to figure out what was going on ok”_

_"so it wasn't as boring as you made it out to be, was it?"_

_"no it's still boring, but that doesn't mean I can't be curious ok. ...i know you're laughing at me, stop that")_

+++

"Hey." Tsukishima sits next to Yamaguchi, eyes still on the lunch he sets on the bench. They sit in silence for a few moments, Yamaguchi trying to type on his phone with one hand while eating at the same time, glancing every so often at Tsukki.

"So," Yamaguchi starts, giving up on his phone and setting it down, "my friend fell asleep during the movie again, remember? And now he finally wants to know what happened..." Yamaguchi smiles and snorts softly. "Only took him a week to get curious..."

Yamaguchi talks. Tells Tsukki about the movie; complains about the price of cinema snacks, "—but my friend paid for my ticket too, so I'll have to return the favor next time we see something."

Tsukishima hasn't tread this ground before; he wants to be careful. "Is there something you're going to see soon?"

Yamaguchi shrugs. "Maybe. He doesn't seem to be interested in any movies that are coming out now."

"Hm. You can always just buy him dinner, then. You've been on several movie dates already, after all."

The look on Yamaguchi's face is worth every day that Tsukki waited for this, collecting evidence, _making sure._ Yamaguchi splutters for a few seconds, and Tsukishima continues. "Maybe he's more interested in television. You could go over to his house—"

"Tsukki—"

"—stream some shows, and, uh, _fall asleep_ , apparently—"

"Oh my god, _shut up_ , Tsukki—"

Tsukishima has more to say but starts chuckling instead, as Yamaguchi tries to hide his entire face behind his hands.


End file.
